September 4, 1844, Charlestown, Massachusetts. His last words are said to have been, I have some beautiful airs running through my head, if I only had the strength to note them down. He must have been hearing the angels sing.

Phipps Street Burying Ground, Boston, Massachusetts.

Holden lived most of his life in Charlestown, Massachusetts, near Boston. Though a carpenter and real estate dealer in his professional life, he also organized many music schools, and served as legislator and pastor. When George Washington visited Boston in 1789, Holden wrote the lyrics and score and trained the choir which sang the music that greeted Washington at the Old State House.